Paper-conveying mechanism



w. G. TRAUTMAN.

PAPER CONVEYING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29, I9I5 Patented 1 e@.21,1920.

Miren stare PATENT FHCE..

WALTER G. TRAUTMAN, OF GLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE CLEVELAND FOL-D-ING BIAGI-TINE COMPANY, O CLEVELAND, OHTO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

PAPER-CONVEYING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

Application filed March 29, 1915. Serial No. 17,792.

To @ZZ w/Om t may conce/Mz Be it known that l, WALTER G. TRAUTMAN, asubject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Cleveland, in the countyof Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Paper- Conveying Mechanism, of which the following is aspeciiication.

My invention relates to improvements in paper conveying mechanism forpaper folding machines and the like, and has forits object, theprovision of means for advancing the folded sheets or signatures topaired conveying rolls or other mechanism, with certainty andexpedition.

In the patent to Johnson, No. 893,629, July 21st, 1908, there is shown apaper folding machine equipped with paired co-acting rolls adapted toadvance the folded sheets laterally when the same are drawn between therolls. ln practiceit is found quite frequently that the signatures willbe impeded in their course from the folding rolls to the conveyingrolls, either through charges of static electricity or friction, whichmay be augmented with signatures formed of relatively heavy stoel;tending to spring apart at the fold. Signatures formed of light stoclr,on the other hand, do not have suiiicient weight or momentum, and oftenstick in the machine. Accordingly, it has been my purpose to provide,paper conveying mechanism with means for overcoming these tendencies;which means obviously must not appreciably impede the lateral or othertravel of the paper. My improvements which are shown in a paper foldingmachine, respond to the requirements named.

The present improvements comprise one or more paired sets of drivenrotatable members, between which the paper is adapted to be rapidlypassed, and preferably these rotatable members comprise small flexiblerotary brushes which peripherally engage or intersect when the paper isnot passing therebetween. One roll may thus be used to drive the other,if desired.

Further details of my improvements will now be explained inconnectionwith the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a fragmentary view in end elevation of a folding machinecentrally broken away, and equipped with my improvements.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the transverse paper conveyingmechanism, with which are associated the rotary auxiliary members orbrushes above referred to, and

Fig. 3, is another enlarged view showing in plan, this same mechanism.

Throughout the several figures of the drawings, l have employed the samecharacter of reference to indicate similar parts.

Referring first to Fig. l, which shows only enough of the foldingmachine construction, centrally broken away, to identify the functionand use of my improvement, it will be understood that saidv machine isprovided with sets of geared folding rolls as positioned in the upperportion of the frame Z) and driven by left hand gears under powertransmitted' from the pulley wheel c. The normal course of the paper orsignature from the last set of foldingv rolls is vertically downwardbetween the paired guide rods d, until the signature is seized betweenthe co-acting spring-pressed rolls ec, which seat it within the groovedguide e and pass said signature to the right and into the buckling platef, which is shown extending upon that side of the figure.

As stated, the progress of the paper not uncommonly is seriously impededfrom different contributing causes, so that the fold` ing machine maynot be driven at full capacity, but the simple auxiliary mechanismassociated with these rolls ce effectively over comes the tendency inquestion. This mechanism l will now describe by referring to the largefigures of the drawings which are better adapted to this purpose.

Beferringnext to Fig. 2, it is seen that the vertical bars d form framespositioned upon opposite sides of a slight groove, formed in thetransverse guide c. Two sets of springpressed rolls c set at a slightangle with the vertical bars, are positioned to engage immediately abovethe groove. In Fig; 2, the direction of the lateral movement of thepaper would be toward the left, and theserolls serve to seize andadvance the paper rapidly as soon it comes between their engagingsurfaces. Each roll is provided with a truste-conical upper portion eand a finely lrnurled cylindrical portion es. The farther one of saidrolls is equipped with a short upright shaft e4. whereon there ismounted one of the paired beveled gears g g. The latter gear g ismounted upon a rotatable sleeve g approximately at right angles t0 saidshaft, which bears one of the engaging rotatable brushes 7L L. Thelatter brush may be adjusted toward and from the geared brush, by meansof a thumb screw c', which acts against the spring z" to cause the brushh lightly to engage its co-acting brush 7L.

llVhen the folding machine is in operation, the transverse conveyingrolls will be rapidly driven by means of the co-acting gears g and thebeveled gears g g .in turn, will impart motion to the brush it, whichrapidly rot-ates the co-acting brush 7L. These brushes serve lightly toimpel the paper, toldedsheet or signature, direct-ly between thetransverse conveying rolls and seat it upon the grooved support,accurately to advance the paper into the angularly vpositioned bucklingplate f.

However, the lateral travel of the signature within the grooved guide ctoward the buckling plate, is practically unimpeded by the engagingbrushes, one of whichceases to rotate las 'soon as the paper intervenesbetween the peripheries of these flexible rotary members. (See F ig. 3).

It will be understood that the number of paired rotary brushes may beincreased, if desired, 'and these may be disposed in other positionsthan immediately adjacent to the transverse conveying rolls asspecifically shown and described. It is important to observe,nevertheless, that these rotary brushes or their equivalents,arefleXible and capable of Vrelative adjustment so that while they serveto vdrag the `signatures rapidly between the transverse conveying rollsand thereby `assist the momentum thereof and gravity as well, saidbrushes do not impede the travel of the signature at rightangles, aswould rolls of more rigid material, tapes, or other similar memberspreviously employed as conveyers in folding machines and the like.

In `Iiig. 3 I have illustrated the operation of the co-acting rotarybrushes, which preferably are maintained in a position of engagementwith the "tips of the brush members slightly interlacing except duringthe passage of a sheet or signature therebetween. One of said members,as explained, tlienbecomes an idler, andthe bristles formingfsaidbrushes lare bent slightly in the Ydirection ofthe lateraltravel of thepaper, immediately it is grasped between the rolls, ec, `for advancingthe same'into the buckling plate.

'My invention is not restricted to the pre- 'oise "details herein setforth,"nor tothe par- 'ti'o'ular brush members 'just explained, sincethese'fspecic rotary' members maybe advantageously k'n'n'plyed in 'otherrelations and'othe'frpositions in paper conveyingmahinery,Withoutdeparting from 'the 'spirit To' invention bers positionedadjacent thereto in tl e line 'of travel of said folded sheets, andmeans for rapidly rotating the same, substantially as set forth.

2. In paper conveying mechanism, the combination with a grcoved'guideadaptedto receive the edge of the folded sheet, of paired co-actingrolls positioned to impel the sheet along said guide, narrow 'circularbrush members positioned in advance of said coacting rolls, and adaptedto direct the folded sheet therebetween, and means for driving saidrolls and members, substantially as set forth.

3. In paper conveying mechanism, the combination with a horizontalguide, of paired rolls engaging above said guide,fa vertical framepositioned above the rolls and guide between which sheets of paper areadapted to be passed, paired co-acting brushes `positioned in advance ofsaid rolls and adapted to direct the sheets of paper 'through the frameand between said rolls, and means for rapidly rotating the rolls andbrushes, substantially as set forth.

4t. In paper conveying mechanism the combination with a frame throughwhich sheets of paper are adapted to be passed, of means adjacent toboth ends of said frame for advancing the paper, intermediate pairedco-acting rotary brushes positioned to engage and direct the paperthrough said frame, and means for rapidly rotating the Y brushes,substantially as set forth.

5. In paper conveying mechanism, the rombination with a fra-me orsupport along which sheets of paper are adapted to be passed, of meansfor conveying the paper to and from the same, paired engaging rotarybrush members positioned intermediately of the frame to engage the paperand impel it along. said frame or support, and means for rotating one ofsaid brush members, substantially as set forth.

6. In a paper conveying mechanism, the combination with a frame yorsupport along which sheets of paper are adapted to be passed, of paireddriven rotary brush members positioned to engage the paper and impel italong 'said frame orsupport, and means for withdrawing the paper by Yasecondary 'movement' thereof, from between Asaid brush members,substantially as "set forth. Y

7. In a paper conveying mechanism, the combination with a vverticalframe through which sheets of paper are adapted 'to 'be passed bygravity, of paired driven brus'h members'positionedto"engage 'thepapenland f impel it along said frame, and means for impelling the paper frombetween said brush members at an angle with its initial path ofmovement, substantially as set forth.

S. A transverse paper-feeding or conveying,` mechanism, comprising aguide, paired rolls positioned adjacent to said guide and adapted todirect the paper along the same, and paired rotatable brushes disposedat substantially right angles with saidrolls and closely adjacentthereto, for concurrently acting upon the signature to enter it betweenthe rolls and seat it upon the guide, substantially as set forth.

9. A transverse paper-feeding or conveying mechanism, comprising a framein Vertical position, a guide beneath said frame, paired rolls uponopposite sides of said guide adapted to direct the signature along,- thesame, paired rotatable brushes positioned substantially at right angleswith and immediately before said rolls for concurrently acting upon thesignature to maintain its position against the guide, and means forrotating said rolls and brushes, substantially as set forth.

l0. A paper conveying mechanism, comprising a frame along which thesignatures are passed, circular flexible paired brushes adapted to impelsaid signature, a grooved guide or support beyond the brushes, pairedrolls substantially at right angles with the brushes and positioned todirect the paper along the support substantially at right angles withits initial course between the brushes, and means for driving said rollsand brushes, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I do now aiX my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

WALTER G. TRAUTMAN. Witnesses REUBEN HITCHCOCK, ALBERT LYNN LAWRENCE.

